Early Years
by CharlotteKing-Freedman
Summary: So basically, it's just Charlotte and Cooper's relationship at the start...it's not exactly canon, but it doesn't follow what happened on the show. It's really just me getting this out of my system and writing something new to hopefully inspire new chapters for my other story 'The Following years.' So yeah, just read and enjoy.


Charlotte was asleep. They'd had a late night, Cooper and her. He'd convinced her to let him take her out for dinner. At first, she'd resisted, they don't do public, but he'd persisted. He'd bugged her, and he'd made reservations at a quiet Italian restaurant and when they'd turned up he'd surprised her with a private corner booth, away from the rest of the seating area. They'd sat close, and she'd let him put his arm around her. They'd ended up walking hand in hand to the car, and when it came to dropping her back home, she'd put her hand on his knee and told him to take her back to his place.

Something pulled her from her dream world and she nudged it away. Cooper was kissing her arm, working his way up to her neck. "Morning beautiful." He whispered. She smiled and breathed in deeply, rolling over and wrapping her arms around his neck. "What a way to wake up. I almost don't mind that you woke me up early." She told him, kissing him. He grinned at her, pushing her onto her back and laying on top of her. He lowered himself down so his skin was inches from hers and teased her lips with his. "Last night was amazing, you...were amazing." He complimented her. She grinned. "I'm always amazing. Now get off me, i have to go home to get ready for work." She told him, pushing him away. Cooper pouted. "No morning sex?" He asked, propping his head up with his hand. Charlotte raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. "So having sex until three am didn't count as 'morning sex'? And anyway, i have to shower and change and i live across town, if i don't leave now, i'll be late." She reminded him, leaning down on his bed and kissing him once more. She stood up and looked around his bedroom. "Where did you throw my bra last night?" She asked him, running her hands through her hair. The shirt of Coopers she was wearing rode up a little, exposing the lace trim of her panties. Coop pointed to her bra, which was hanging from his ceiling lamp. Charlotte laughed, and stood up on his bed, stretching up and pulling it down. Coop grabbed her legs and kissed her thighs, pulling her down into his arms. "You know we could have morning sex if..." He started. "Don't say it." She butted in, tensing up in his arms. "..you moved in." He finished, raising his eyebrow suggestively. "Come on, you're here all the time anyway, and it'll save you from having to drive home in the mornings when you stay over." He argued.

Charlotte pulled away, and started putting her bra on, under his shirt. "Way to make it sound romantic Coop. " She muttered, pulling off his shirt and picking up her discarded dress from the floor. Cooper stood up, realising his mistake, reaching for his girlfriend. "No...no. I don't mean it like that. I want you here Char. I want you here when i wake up, and when i go to sleep. I wanna make dinner with you, or for you, and i don't want you to have to leave to get changed every morning. I want you to have shower sex with me, and have your things here so i can watch you dress. You're my girlfriend, and i want you here!" He told her, reaching out a hand and touching her waist. Charlotte smiled softly, then looked at her watch. "I really have to go Coop. I'll think about it." She told him, kissing his cheek, then leaving him alone.

She found Cooper in his office at the end of the day, and walked in silently, closing and locking the door behind her. She shut the blinds, then took a few steps towards him. Coop looked up at the sound of heels entering his office, and watched in silence as she sealed themselves off from the rest of the office. He stood up, and made his way to the front of his desk, leant on the edge and folded his arms. "You skipped out on meeting me for lunch." He stated, not asking, but wanting an explanation.

Charlotte cleared her throat, and looked at the ground. "I had to think." She told him. Charlotte looked to the ground and bit her lip. "You asking me to move in with you...it's a big step. And it's not that i don't like being with you, because i do. I like falling asleep next to you, and i like the idea of not having to live out of my car half the time, but..." She said, licking her lips. "But i love you Cooper, and that scares me. I've never felt this way about anyone before. Not this strongly, and moving in with you..if something goes wrong..there's no escape." She admitted. Coop moved forward and took her into his arms, squeezing her tightly.

"I love you too. And i don't plan on anything going wrong." He told her, kissing the top of her head. "So is this a yes?" He asked hopefully, a ring of happiness in his voice. He felt her head nod in his arms and he squealed. "Oh my gosh, i can't wait! This is going to be so much fun!" He giggled. Charlotte raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, smirking. "Why do i get the feeling that you're more excited about having more time to have sex in the morning than anything else?" She asked, laughing. Cooper pulled a face at her and then poked out his tongue. She sighed and pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.

Charlotte had been living with Cooper for two weeks now, and most of her stuff had blended in with Coops thing, apart from two boxes which currently sat in the corner of the lounge. She'd decided to rent out her own apartment, and leave all of her furniture there, just as a safety net.

She was sitting on their bed, legs crossed, a presentation she was planning, spread out before her. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and she was wearing mini shorts and a sports bra. It was hot. Very hot. She'd taken the day off work to blast through the presentation, but had spent half the day trying to get cool enough to think. She'd settled for less clothing, a fan on full cycle, pointed right at her, and a glass of sweet iced tea.

Cooper, however, hadn't taken the day off work, and came back, sticky and boiling. As soon as he shut the door to the loft, he began taking his shirt off, making his way into just his boxers by the time he reached the bedroom. He watched Charlotte work for a second, loving the way she bit her lip as she thought. She looked up, not having heard Coop arrive home, but sensing someone watching her. She gave him a smile and then raised her eyebrows at how little clothing he was wearing. "Oh hey." She said, standing up on the bed and stepping over her work to stand on the end. He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her body and kissing her collarbone.

"Was your day good?" She asked, playing with his hair as she stood taller than him. He shook his head and kissed her chest again. "Too hot." He replied.

"So too hot to help me out?" She asked.

Cooper frowned, not understanding. "I thought you didn't need my help? I don't know anything about the emergency protocols at St. Ambrose." He told her. Charlotte shook her head and wiped her sticky hair out of her face, tilting Coop's face up to look up at her. She gently kissed his lips, lingering on his mouth a few seconds longer than normal.

"I mean...help me out." She emphasised, taking his hand, and placing it on her breast, raising an eyebrow at him. "This heat...makes me...hot." She finished, licking her lips. Cooper grinned and pulled her into his arms. "I knew you'd like living here."


End file.
